PM seeks Japan's support in NSG for civil nuclear energy cooperati

Tokyo, Dec 14: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today sought Japan's support in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to enable the country to forge greater cooperation with its 45 member-countries against the background of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

At the same time, he confirmed that India's commitment to work for universal nuclear disarmament remained unshaken.

In an address to the joint session of the Diet, the Japanese parliament, Dr Singh also identified defence and the fight against terrorism as other areas in which the two countries could work together.

He stressed that economic ties must be the bedrock of the bilateral relationship and called for strong efforts by the two governments, business and industry to exploit the full potential in this regard.

The Prime Minister said he and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe would launch negotiations at their official talks tomorrow that will lead to a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to encourage greater flows of trade, investment and technology between the two countries.

''Like Japan, India sees nuclear power as a viable and clean energy source to meet its growing energy needs. We seek Japan's support in helping put in place innovative and forward-looking approaches of the international community to make this possible,'' he said.

Dr Singh arrived here last night on a three-day visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in five years since former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who came here in 2001.

Dr Singh began his day with a series of meetings with senior Japanese ministers as part of the effort to strengthen the strategic and economic content of bilateral relationship.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso, Finance Minister Koji Omi and Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akira Amari called on the Prime Minister separately in the forenoon at the Four Seasons Hotel at Chinzan-so, where he is staying.

Dr Singh also had a brief interaction with Mr Abe, who accorded him a ceremonial welcome at Kantei, his official residence this afternoon, ahead of their official talks tomorrow.

After that, Dr Singh and his wife, Mrs Gursharan Kaur, were received in an audience by the Emperor and Empress of Japan, with whom they spent about twenty minutes.

Dr Singh is the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Diet, which is considered a singular honour. The Japanese lawmakers heard him with great interest and his 21-minute speech was interrupted frequently by loud ovations. They gave him a standing ovation at the end.

Briefing reporters on the day's discussions, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said the talks focussed in large part on the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries.

The Prime Minister pointed out that India was emerging as a ''western hub'' for the East Asian market, giving it an important logistic advantage.

Dr Singh hoped Japan would participate in the second phase of the Delhi Metro project, whose first phase has already been completed. He said the second phase of the project assumed particular significance of the Commonwealth Games that Delhi was getting ready to host in 2010.

The Prime Minister told the Japanese leaders that the proposed multi-modal dedicated freight corridors between Delhi and Mumbai and Delhi and Howrah had the potential to change the face of India.

The two sides were also excited about the proposal for an industrial corridor along the Delhi-Mumbai freight corridor.

The Prime Minister also had a meeting with a delegation of Indian businessmen who are currently here to discuss how the engagement with Japan could be enhanced. One of the suggestions made at the meeting was for a special India-Japan Infrastructure Fund. Mr Kamal Nath said both sides would examine the suggestion, which he felt could supplement government efforts.

In the evening, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Festival of India in Japan at the Chinzan-so Complex. The two Prime Ministers will also unveil the joint logo of the India-Japan Friendship Year 2007.

Tomorrow, Dr Singh will hold official talks with Mr Abe, after which the two leaders will address a joint press conference. The two sides will also issue a Joint Statement. The Prime Minister is also due to meet some Japanese dignitaries, including former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, tomorrow. He will also interact with Japanese and Indian businessmen at a luncheon hosted by the apex chambers of the two countries. He is due to return home on Saturday evening.

''Terrorism is a common threat to our peace and is threatening the harmony and fabric of our open societies. It is a complex problem that has many faces, many causes and respects no geographical barriers. We cannot prevail in the fight against terrorism unless we work together,'' the Prime Minister said in his address to the joint session of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors.

Dr Singh said the two countries had an equal stake in promoting defence cooperation, including for protection of sea-lanes to secure their trade and energy flows.

''Another area of mutual interest is energy security. Our region as a whole needs the assurance of the security of energy supplies, and the efficient functioning of energy markets,'' he stressed.

National Security Adviser M K Narayanan had told journalists accompanying the Prime Minister yesterday that India was confident that Japan would support it in the NSG though it may not come out openly to endorse the Indo-US deal.

''Japan understands our needs for nuclear material and resources,'' he said. India has been briefing Japan on the deal since it was signed by Dr Singh and US President George W Bush in Washington on July 18 last year. Officials explained that ''this is an ongoing conversation.'' Japan was one of the first countries to impose sanctions on India after it conducted nuclear tests in 1998.

Briefing reporters this evening, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon declined to answer questions about the Japanese position on the Indo-US Nuclear Deal. ''Wait until tomorrow,'' was all he would say, referring to the fact that the two Prime Ministers were due to hold official talks tomorrow.

Another topic that would figure at Dr Singh's talks with Mr Abe is the efforts of both countries to get permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council as part of the G-4 initiative, that also includes Germany and Brazil.

''I am pleased that India and Japan are working together to revitalise and reform the United Nations and the UN Security Council, making them more relevant to our times. Both of us have a vital stake in the enhanced effectiveness of the United Nations and its various organs. To that end, we must intensify our cooperation for an orderly and equitable management of the inter-dependence of nations in an increasingly globalised world we live in,'' Dr Singh told the Diet.

The Prime Minister noted that bilateral trade and investment were well below potential. In contrast, India's trade with both China and Korea was booming and grew last year by around 40 per cent with both countries. He pointed out that China's trade with India was nearly three times India's trade with Japan, while Korea's trade with India was almost equal to Japan's trade with India.

''To exploit the full potential of our economic cooperation, we need strong efforts by our two governments, business and industry,'' he said.

According to him, the most important area in which the two countries could build this partnership was the knowledge economy.

''The structure of our economies, the balance of our comparative advantages and the profile of our population are compelling reasons for this,'' he underlined.

The Prime Minister said in the field of science and technology, the two countries needed to accelerate the pace of cooperation in the growth sectors of the future such as nano-technology, biotechnology, life sciences and information and communication technologies. ''We must exploit synergies in the development of Indian software and Japanese hardware,'' he said.

Dr Singh felt that any partnership of minds involved greater people-to-people contact. ''I would like to see more students in India learning the Japanese language. Japanese has already been introduced as an optional foreign language in our secondary schools.

Tomorrow, Prime Minister Abe and I will be launching the 'Investing in the Future Initiative' and we hope to see thousands of our youth learning Japanese in the next few years,'' he said.

The Prime Minister said, as the largest and most developed democracies of Asia, India and Japan had a mutual stake in each other's progress and prosperity. ''We are determined to provide an investment friendly economic environment in India,'' he said, inviting Japanese companies to expand their presence in India.

''Our partnership has the potential to create an 'arc of advantage and prosperity' across Asia, laying the foundation for the creation of an Asian Economic Community,'' he emphasiSed.

''These hopes and aspirations of an expanded India-Japan partnership will become a reality only if we increase exchanges at all levels. We have agreed to establish a high-level Energy Dialogue, but such fora must be established in many more areas, not least of all between our trade and industry,'' he said.

Dr Singh noted that 2007 is the India-Japan Friendship Year and the year of India-Japan Tourism Exchange. ''We hope to substantially increase air connectivity between our two countries.

I invite young and old Japanese to visit India and see for themselves the many splendours of ancient and modern India,'' he said.

''The idea of a new partnership between Japan and India has found its moment today. I come here to give concrete shape to the idea so that future generations will be able to thank us for the part we are trying to play in making the 21st century an Asian century,'' he said.

At the outset, Dr Singh referred to the common heritage of Buddhism that bound the two countries, which he referred to as ''civilisational neighbours.'' He noted that India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had wanted India to develop close ties with Japan and learn from its experience.

He also referred to former Japanese Prime Minister Nobusike Kishi, the grandfather of Mr Abe, who was instrumental in India becoming the first recipient of Japan's Overseas Development Assistance.

The Prime Minister talked about the role played by Japan in the development of Indian industries such as automobiles and petrochemicals. He also recalled that Japan was steadfast in its support when India went through a period of deep economic crisis in the early '90s. He said that crisis gave India an opportunity to break out of an old mould and embark on a new path to progress through an open economy ready to compete in a globalising world.

Dr Singh dwelt at length on the Indian economy, pointing out that growth had accelerated to over eight per cent per annum in recent years.

''As an open society and an open economy, India is on the move.

Never before have over a billion people tried to banish poverty and modernise their society and economy within the framework of a plural democracy,'' he said.

''We believe that India is now on a sustained path of high growth. We have developed a new model for service-led and technology-driven integration with the global economy,'' he said.

''I believe the time has come for our two ancient civilizations to build a strong contemporary relationship involving strategic and global partnership that will have great significance for Asia and the world,'' he said.

''We also share the belief that both India and Japan must play their rightful and commensurate role in the emerging international order. Strong ties between India and Japan will be a major factor in building an open and inclusive Asia and in enhancing peace and stability in the region,'' he added.

UNI